As a shoegaze listener myself, a website like Shoegazeralive is extremely convenient when it comes to listen to music and discover new bands.
Shoegazeralive is a blogger website which provides many relevant information about Shoegazer and its related genres, such as Dream-pop, Post-punk, Noise-pop, Nugazer, recently they included other two related genres C86 and Sarah Records. Genreally, the website does not review the album. Instead, it provides the complete zipped album download links from free file hosting websites, like Mediafire, Badongo, Rapidshare, and Megaupload. The purpose for posting the music is for listeners to evaluation before they purchase. Often, the website would attach the links to online record stores which encourages people to purchase and support the bands. Another reason for sharing music online is because of inaccessibility of Shoegaze music. Although, the number of listeners is growing up recently, this Shoegazer subculture still remains a minority group comparing to other types of music. Also the website would provide rare EPs, live recordings, remixes, box sets; again it's due to the inaccessibility. However, sharing music without permission is illegal. The website of Shoegazeralive has been removed by Google several times. Currently it is still Shoegazeralive2.
Shoegaze is originated in certain towns of UK. In the early 90s, shoegaze was almost abandoned by people in music industry in UK. Without much exposures on the media, the Shoegazer scene quickly vanished into thin air before it had a chance to spread worldwide. However, in the beginning of 21st century, the sounds of overdrive, fuzz, and jangly layers of distortion have found their way to appeal to the new generation. Now, the new shoegaze bands came out from all around the world. France's M83, New York's Asobi Seksu and The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Glasgow's Glasvegas, Sweden's The Radio Dept. and The Legends, Sydney's Van She and many more from different cities. This explains why Shoegaze subculture scene is based on Internet. Shoegaze is about the sound, it's all about the music. It does not concern with the places you are in, as long as you listen to shoegaze music, as long as you are playing shoegaze, you are all in the Shoegaze subculture.
Therefore, Shoegazeralive is like an online fanzine, except that it operates completely different to fanzines. Umm... Okay, let me explain. Fanzine can only describe the music with personal opinions, while Shoegazeralive can show you what the album sounds like. Fanzine only focus on local active bands, but Shoegazeralive can introduce shoegazing albums from all over the world even from Taiwan (a small Asian country where I'm from). The only thing in common would be that they both dedicated for the pleasure of people who share similar interests, and receive no finicial compensation.
Of course, it would be unfair to say that every shoegazer goes to Shoegazeralive and download music there. Some of them may even never heard of the site. And people who visits the site is still purchasing the CD to support the artists (I know I do). As a shoegaze listener myself, I discovered this blog through a friend's blog. Personally, it only represents an online shoegazing fanzine to me. Shoegazeralive is important for a fan like me, but I do not think it is essential. Without Shoegazeralive, shoegaze bands are still out there somewhere swirling their guitars, shoegaze listener are still out there somewhere losing themself in the mist of white noises.
Cheers!
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Young Adult Friction"
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